While conservatives debated the semantics of Kavanaugh’s decision, Democrats and liberal activists were overwhelmingly alarmed by the nomination.

With Democrats determined to vigorously oppose Trump’s choice, the Senate confirmation battle is expected to dominate the months leading up to November’s midterm elections. “I think it’s a damn shame that people spend millions of dollars in political campaign for supreme court justice”. Jeff Flake of Arizona said of the article: “Frankly that was back when Obama was president, so if someone was trying to draw a line about him being easy on Trump that’s not there”.

His nomination sparked immediate and furious opposition from many Senate Democrats still bitter over Republicans’ refusal to process former President Barack Obama’s final high court nominee and fearful of the impact an even more rightward-leaning court could have on America’s legal landscape. It’s unclear what evidence there is for that, other than Trump’s promise to appoint anti-abortion judges. Some lawmakers have gone as far as to suggest Kavanaugh’s elevation will be a blow to American women – shutting out their hard-won freedom, particularly in the area of female reproductive rights, and leaving it in the hands of five male conservative justices.

Meanwhile the anti-gay National Organization for Marriage – which has long advocated a strategy of stacking the Supreme Court with conservatives in order to undermine rulings on LGBT equality – is jubilant at the pick. He worked in the White House during George W. Bush’s presidency and was an aide to Kenneth Starr during the investigation of President Bill Clinton, according to the Associated Press. But Indiana’s Joe Donnelly, North Dakota’s Heidi Heitkamp and West Virginia’s Joe Manchin all say they won’t attend.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer says a weekend move by the Trump administration to undercut the Affordable Care Act is another reason for senators to closely scrutinize the president’s Supreme Court nominee. Now it remains to be seen whether or not his confirmation can actually be wrapped up by the beginning of the court’s new term in October.

“Judge Kavanaugh should not be allowed anywhere near our nation’s highest bench”, a post on the Democratic Party’s official blog said.

Before the president’s announcement, the Washington Examiner relayed a quote from an unnamed source close to the White House that “there are concerns in the pro-life community that his decisions in some cases mean he’s not as solidly pro-life as we would like him to be”.

He’s been called the “Forrest Gump of Republican politics” by Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., because of his placement at key moments in recent political history. He works for the Washington-based lobbying firm Covington & Burling.

Republicans and Democrats are at odds over Kavanaugh and with the Senate closely divided, his path to confirmation is treacherous.

Since the day Justice Kennedy announced his retirement, the left’s screaming has been about Roe v. Wade. Democrats who were invited but declined included Sens.

As of Tuesday, only one Senate Democrat up for re-election in a state that Trump won has announced that he’s a no vote: Sen.

“Just as they held the Merrick Garland seat open on the Supreme Court, they also held open an very bad lot of vacancies on the district courts and the courts of appeal”, said Russell Wheeler, who tracks judicial nominations at the Brookings Institution. “I haven’t even met ’em”, she said, picking up her pace as she walked through the Capitol’s basement to escape a growing throng of reporters.

Others took a more cautiously hopeful tone, with Live Action president Lila Rose simply “encourag [ing] Brett Kavanaugh to uphold the Constitution and support the most basic human right – the right to life – for all people”.